Today marks Nazia Hassan's 50th birthday!

Elegant, stylish, beautiful and coupled with a melodious voice. Nazia Hassan had it all that made everyone in Pakistan (and abroad) fall in love with her. The iconic pop singer was born on April 3, 1965 in Karachi to Basir Hassan and Munizeh Hassan. It was at the tender of 15 when Nazia grabbed national and international headlines when she sang the sensational song ‘Aap Jesa Koi Meri Zindagi’ which was lip synced by Indian actress Zeenat Aman in the movie Qurban. For this song, she won the Filmfare award for Best Female Playback Singer, a feat which was one of a kind at that time for a Pakistani. Till this day, she holds the distinct record of being the youngest winner of a Filmfare award for Best Female Playback Singer.

‘Aap Jesa Koi’ propelled Nazia Hasan into one of the most sought after and loved musicians of South Asia. Whereas Pakistanis were proud of the young, frail girl who had broken records with a single chartbuster, neighboring India was instantly captivated by her voice too. The accolades, laurels and appreciation Nazia garnered as a result of her song were instrumental in paving the way for her debut album Disco Deewane. 

Disco Deewane changed the whole concept of music and revolutionized it altogether. It was Nazia who introduced pop music into South Asia for the very first time and made it popular. Disco Deewane charted across 14 countries and broke several records upon release.Her brother Zohaib Hassan is definitely worth a mention since he was also very influential in Nazia’s music and also contributed on most of the songs from the album.

From there on, there was no looking back for Nazia and Zohaib. Nazia’s next album Star/Boom Boom went on to be another sensational hit, further strengthening the identity Nazia shared with the youth of her time. Very soon, she transformed into a beautiful woman who was also felicitated by the media for her sense of style and glamour.

 

After conquering the music scene in South Asia with back to back hit albums and scores of hit songs, whilst recording for Nazia’s fifth album titled Camera Camera, Nazia announced it would be her last album. She quit music soon afterwards and joined the Department of Political and Security Council Affairs at the United Nations Headquarters in New York, working there for two years. Nazia also established the organization BAN (Battle Against Narcotics) to fight abuse of drugs in Karachi. In 1995, she got married to businessman Ishtiaq Beg and her son Arez was born in 1997. She was also the recipient of the highest civilian award, the Pride of Performance award.

Nazia passed away on August 13, 2000 at the vibrant age of 35 due to lung cancer. Just before her marriage, her husband tragically divorced her days before her death.

Nazia left behind a legacy that will always remain unmatched; shoes that will always remain unfilled. Her crooning, melodious voice gave us tremendous pop hits such as Dil Ki Lagi, Ajnabi, Zara Chehra To, Dum Dum Dee Dee, Boom Boom and Dosti.  Not only was she beautiful but academically sound as well. The educated artist held the degree of Business Administration and Economics from Richmond American University in London. She was a lawyer by education and this degree was an added plus. Nazia was the pioneer in Pakistan and even lives today in the hearts of millions. Through social video platforms, her catchy music and mesmerizing videos are there for all to see and admire.

Dum Dum Dee Dee Dum – Yaad Mujhay Bus Yahi… by waheedmurad19472412

Nazia Hassan may have lost the battle with cancer and moved onto the next realm, but she will always remain alive in our hearts. Her lively hits are still favored immensely by the youth of our nation. Nazia Hassan, you will always be missed and remembered for your brilliant performance and artistic contributions.